Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to The Business

    The Business

    Director Ruben Östlund on his Swedish satire 'The Square'

    Hollywood chased after Swedish writer-director Ruben Östlund following his well-received 2014 film Force Majeure. But Östlund isn't so sure he wants to be caught. He tells KCRW's Matt Holzman about staying in Scandinavia and his new movie The Square, a satirical dramedy that is his second film selected as Sweden's foreign language submission to the Oscars.

    • rss
    Download MP3
    • Share
    By Kim Masters • Nov 6, 2017 • 28m Listen

    Swedish director Ruben Östlund's new movie The Square is a darkly comedic satire that follows Christian, a suave curator at a modern art museum who has trouble living up to his self-proclaimed ideals. It's also his second movie Sweden has selected to submit to the Oscars in the foreign language category. KCRW's Matt Holzman talks to Östlund about watching -- and creating -- viral videos, going from making ski films to social satires, and how he ended up casting Elisabeth Moss in The Square, even though he originally wanted a Scandinavian actress for the part.

    Photo: Director Ruben Östlund on the set of The Square. (Magnolia Pictures)

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Kim Masters

      partner/writer at Puck News, host of KCRW's “The Business.”

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Kaitlin Parker

      Producer, 'The Business' and 'Hollywood Breakdown'

      CultureEntertainmentArts
    Back to The Business